Kykenevät

Kykenevät is the third-person plural present tense form of the Finnish verb kyetä, meaning to be able or to have the capacity to do something. It expresses that the subject currently has the capability to perform the action described in the following infinitive clause. The form is relatively formal and is common in written Finnish; in everyday speech speakers often use alternative constructions such as voida or pystyä.

Usage and construction: Kyetä functions as a modal-like verb. In sentences, kykenevät is typically followed by an infinitive that denotes the action to be performed. The overall meaning is that the subject can achieve or accomplish that action under suitable conditions, rather than merely possible in theory. This pattern allows speakers to discuss abilities, capacities, or potential outcomes in a precise, rather formal way.

Related forms and alternatives: The adjective kykenevä means capable or able and can modify nouns, as in kykenevä toiminta. The noun kykeneminen denotes the act or state of being able, i.e., ability. The past tense form for a plural subject is kykenivät (they were able). In many contexts, especially informal speech, speakers choose synonyms such as voida or pystyä instead of kyetä.

Etymology and register: Kyetä is a Finnish verb with roots in the everyday notion of capability, but it occupies a more formal or literary register than some alternatives. It remains common in official, academic, or written Finnish and appears in legal or descriptive prose where precise capability is discussed.